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Indie alternatives to Mermaid
3 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Mermaid does, 3 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.
At a glance
| Product | Price | Open source | Self-host | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlantUML | Free | Yes | – | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Flowchart Fun | Free plan | Yes | – | Web |
| Swimlanes.io | Free plan | – | – | Web |
The alternatives
2. Flowchart Fun
Make flowcharts from text
Web app that turns indented text into flowcharts and diagrams.
Free plan · Web · Website ↗
3. Swimlanes.io
Sequence diagrams from text
Web tool for creating sequence diagrams from a simple text syntax.
Free plan · Web · Website ↗
Questions
Is there a free alternative to Mermaid?
Yes. 3 of the 3 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: PlantUML, Flowchart Fun and Swimlanes.io.
Is there an open-source alternative to Mermaid?
PlantUML and Flowchart Fun are open source.
Which Mermaid alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?
On Mac: PlantUML. On Windows: PlantUML. On Linux: PlantUML.
What makes these alternatives to Mermaid “indie”?
They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Mermaid.
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